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Farhat Daud , Kensington, CA 94707 Process I am a licensed, practicing architect with my own business. I do not think of myself as an artist. However, creativity has always ruled my being and I do not limit myself in its form. My work as an architect can be seen as directly translating into this series of art that I submit. In my process, I start drawing with a white colored pencil on white textured paper. I use the tools of an architect’s past: a straightedge, circle template, triangle. I have a general sense of what I am creating but unsure of the final outcome. It is only after I apply the chalk pastel, blending it in with my fingers, a soft cloth and Q-tips, that the color reveals the drawn lines. It is at this point that I see the connections, the fluidity, the disjunctions or the mistakes. After this revelation, I decide how to proceed next… Influence & Inspiration It is Mughal architecture that I accredit to giving direction to my life. As immigrants to the U.S., my family traveled back and forth between our native India and Los Angeles. It was this travel during my youth that allowed me to experience firsthand the majestic beauty of the structures of the Muslim world and inspired my decision to pursue architecture as my profession. The intricate handwork and carvings, the patterns, geometry and tessellations gave me great inspiration and passion. I learned from the symmetry, balance and innovation seen in the plans and facades of the great mosques, forts and palaces of Iran, India and Spain. I was awed by the power of calligraphy, the interplay between rigid, structured lettering and fluid, organic, floral motifs combining to form field and border, decoration and proclamation all at once. In my youth, I was also greatly influenced by the Hindu weaving community that surrounded our small village in Nagpur, India. Although the weavers have modernized and moved on, I still hold strong the images of freshly spun thread woven on hand looms inside tiny mud huts, then dyed and hung outside to dry, dripping their intense colors in the sunlight. Now, as an adult, the complex textures and patterns of the thread and the bold saffrons, magentas and aquas that colored the light cotton cloth flowing in the wind can be found in my work. ---PAGE BREAK--- Farhat Daud 2 Education & Experience Previous Exhibitions Andaaz Architecture March 2003 - present Principal architect for a small architecture firm that primarily focuses on sustainable residential design. Glass Associates Architecture + Urban Design August 1999 - March 2003 Associate architect for an Oakland architecture firm that included commercial, institutional, residential and urban design. Miroglio Architecture + Design June 1997 - July 1999 Entry-level architect for a small Oakland architecture firm that included commercial, retail and residential design. Master of Architecture January 1995 – May 1997 University of Emmet L. Wemple Landscape Architects December 1992 – December 1994 Designer for an LA-based landscape architecture firm that specialized in retail, commercial, institutional, civic, hospitality and residential work. Collaborative Design Architects January 19912 - October 1992 Draftsperson for a San Francisco-based architecture firm providing civic, commercial, retail and residential design services. Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Architecture August 1987 - May 1991 UC Berkeley Muslima: Muslim Women’s Art & Voices, International Museum of Women online exhibition, 2013 Submitted Artwork 1. Into the depth, floating out, 2013, chalk pastel on paper, framed 16x17 2. Spring rain reflections, 2013, chalk pastel on paper, framed 16x17 3. Gossamer scales, 2013, chalk pastel on paper, framed 16x17 4. Roots and other stubborn things, 2013, chalk pastel on paper, framed 16x17 ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK---